1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,900 discloses a connector with a housing that has a cavity and a resilient lock that projects from an inner wall of the cavity. The connector also has a terminal fitting that is inserted into the cavity. A box-shaped connecting portion is provided at a front end of the terminal fitting, and a locking hole is formed in the connecting portion. A locking projection of the lock fits into the locking hole to lock the terminal fitting to lock the terminal fitting in the cavity.
The width of the lock may be increased to increase an area of engagement of the lock with the front edge of the locking hole, and hence to increase a terminal fitting holding force. However, stabilizers project at the rear ends of outer surfaces of connecting portions of some terminal fittings for stabilizing the posture of the terminal fittings. The lock and the stabilizer overlap and interfere with each other if the lock has substantially the same width over its entire length. The connecting portion of the terminal fitting can be widened to move the stabilizer transversely and to avoid interference between the lock and the stabilizer. However, a larger connector with a wider cavity is needed to accommodate the wider connecting portion.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to increase a terminal fitting holding force.